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Â鶹ÊÓƵ has been shortlisted for three prestigious national awards.

Entries in three categories have made it onto the official shortlist of this year's Local Government Chronicle (LGC) awards.

The South Tyneside Pledge is through to the finals in the Public/Private Partnership category, the Viking Energy Network in the Net Zero category and the council's Organisational Development Team for Small Team of the Year.

The awards celebrate the best examples of innovation and quality in the local government sector.

Since its launch in 2022, 250 public, private and voluntary organisations have signed the Pledge and added £3m a year to the borough's economy through their commitment to spending, recruiting and supporting South Tyneside.

The Viking Energy Network is a UK-first renewable scheme which harnesses heat from the River Tyne. Operational since October 2023, the system is already being used to heat council-owned buildings including residential tower blocks, delivering an annual reduction in carbon emissions of 1,035 tonnes.

The Organisational Development Team was created in 2022 as a core component of the 'Our Council Change Programme' and has already helped to accelerate culture change through

leadership development, learning, support and wellbeing offers for employees and elected members.

Cllr Tracey Dixon, Leader of Â鶹ÊÓƵ, said: "We are incredibly proud of some of the innovative and transformative work we have been doing both within the council as an organisation and to support our communities, and it's fantastic that these projects have received the recognition they deserve.

"The South Tyneside Pledge is making a real impact to our economy, with Pledgees using more local suppliers, hiring local people, volunteering, providing work experience and school initiatives and putting in place climate change measures.

"The Organisational Development Team, despite being small and only recently formed, has been a key driver in our transformation to a modern and inclusive organisation.

"And our Viking Energy Network is the first of its kind in the country, showcasing our expertise in low carbon technologies and making a significant contribution to our drive towards net zero."

The three projects will each go before a panel of judges before the awards ceremony in June.